Florence

Walking through the city, every step was the first for me. Everything ahead is untouched, sensed only by my eyes and ears. I think I love the absence of straight roads because it makes the approach to something as majestic as this all the more....alive. We shifted slightly as we crossed the street and, all of a sudden, there it was. Arnolfo di Cambio and Brunelleschi's legacy.

We didn't talk about the Baptistry Doors, but I approached it on my own. After reading a book about Brunelleschi and Ghiberti over the summer, I was excited to see the dome and the doors together.

Strength...

This is what you see if you look up while climbing the stairs to the top of the dome: the space between the two shells.

View from the top of the dome.

Courtyard at Santa Croce that I would've loved to sketch, if only I'd walked outside of the chapel before leaving. I love arcades.

Looking out from Ponte Vecchio on the way to our first group dinner on the trip.

Best. Steak. I've. Ever. Had. ... It was the size of both my fists put together... I ate the entire thing, and then a little bit more. Mmmmmm...

One of many crew teams I saw practicing on the River Arno on my solitary walk.

Looking back from the top of the steps going up to Piazzale Michelangelo. Gorgeous...

You can't really tell, but there were thousands of birds dancing in the air. You could see the wind current that they followed. I talked to one of the vendors after taking this picture; he said that it happens every evening. Amazingly, it didn't rain bird poop, and none of them crashed into each other (Maybe even more amazingly, the vendor didn't try to sell me anything after we talked for 5 minutes).

This. Is Hercules. Don't get him angry. You won't like him when he's angry.